Variable table



March 25,, 1924. 1,4 7,734:

G. E. FAY V VARIABLE TABLE Filed Aug. 31 1922 I/ I I Patented Ma.r. 25,1924.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. FAY, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS. ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SALVA-TOR/E GANGI, SALVATORE LARZZARA, AND PHILIP SEARNICI, ALL OF EAST BOS-TON, MASSACHUSETTS.

VARIABLE TABLE.

Application filed August 31, 1922. Serial No. 585,394.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. FAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and btate ofMassachusetts, ,have invented new and useful Improvements in VariableTables, of which the following is a specification.

The invention is embodied in a table comprising a box-shaped body havinga horizontal top, formed as an open frame, the walls of the body forminga storage space below the frame opening, horizontal internal guidemembers located in the stora e space, a transparent cover seated on t eframe, and a plurality of interchangeable slides engaged with said guidemembers and movable in horizontal slots in one side of the table body,the slides being horizontally supported out of contact with each other,and the arrangement being such that the upper slide is operativelysupported in close proximity to the cover, the other slides being storedout of contact. with each other, and ready for use below the upperslide,

' each of the slides being accessible at the external surface of thebody, so that it may be readily inserted and removed.

The chief object of the invention is to provide a table, the top ofwhich is variable, by locating either of the said slides in operativeproximity to the transparent cover, the surfaces of each slide beingprovided with indicia distinguishing the slide from the .others of theseries. For example, one slide may have one of its surfaces marked as achecker-board, and the opposite surface marked as a backgammon-board, sothat the table may be used for playing either of the games mentioned, bylocating the slide in the top opening with either of its surfacesuppermost. There may be any desired number of slides, each being markedto distinguish it from the others, the slides being duplicates of eachother in form, so that either may be located in operative relation tothe cover, as the acting or operating slide, the others beinginoperatively stored.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Figure l is a side view of a table embodying the invention, the legsbeing partly broken away. Y

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of F igure 2.

Figure 4 is an edge view of a thin insert, such as a parchesi-board,adapted to be introduced between the acting slide and the transparentcover.

Figure 5 is a sectional View, showing a portion of one of the slides.

Figure 6 is a view'similar to Figure 2, th slides, the glass cover, andthe drawers being removed.

same parts in all of the figures.

The body of my improved table is boxshaped and includes a horizontal topportion 12, formed as an open frame, edges of the opening of which areindicated by 13 in Figures 2, 3 and 6. The box-shaped body includesupright side members 14 and 15, upright end -members 16 and 17, andahorizontal bottom member 18. The body also includes upright members 19,19 (Fig-' ure 3), these members, the side members 14 and 15, and thebottom member collectively forming a storage space. The members 19 areprovided with a series of pairs of horizontal guide members 20, shown inFigures 3 and 6, and by dotted lines in Figure 2, as tongues engaginggrooves in opposite edges of horizontal slides 21. Said slides projectthrough horizontal spaced apart slots 23 in the side member 15, and areprovided with knobs or handles 22, whereby they may be manipulated. Eachslide is a duplicate in form and size of the others, so that the slidesare interchangeable, either slide being adapted to be placed at the topof the series as the acting slide, the others being stored inoperativelyin the table body below the top 12.

The arrangement of the guide members 20 is such that the acting slidehas its upper surface substantially flush with the upper surface of thetop 12, and constitutes a removable part of the top, the slide beingformed to closely fit and fill the opening in the top.

It will now be seen that the top may be varied, and adapted fordifferent uses, by locating either slide 21 in the top opening, and byplacing either side of the acting slide uppermost.

Each slide is preferably made of Wood, and composed of a plurality ofmembers The same referencecharacters indicate the relatively arranged toprevent liability of warping. Each slide may be composed of a bodyportion 1. a transverse end portion 2, and side portions 3, 3. The grainof the wood in the portion 1 may run at right angles to the grain in theportion 2. The portions 3 may be thin layers or veneers in which thegrain runs differently from the grain of the portions 1 and 2.

To protect the exposed surface of the act ing slide without interferencewith its function, I rovide a transparent cover 25, which is pre erablya pane of glass, formed to fill the opening in the frame-shaped top.

- The cover 25 is removably confined by curb 26, projecting upward fromthe marginal portion of the top, and adapted to prevent edgewisedisplacement of the cover in any direction,,and to permit the cover tohe lifted from the table so that its under side may be cleaned. Theupper surface of the acting slide is in close proximity to the cover 25,so that the markings of the slide are clearly visible, and movable gamepieces maybe moved upon the cover in accordance with the markings of theslide, the cover constituting, in effect, a transparent top member ofthe acting slide.

I prefer to rovide a crevice 27 between the acting sli e 21 and thecover 25, for the reception of a relatively thin supplemental slide 28(Figure 4) which may be an ordinary parchesi-board of considerably lessthickness than a. slide 21. This is accomplished by making the upperslot 23 Wider than the others, and enough wider than the .thickness of aslide 21 to space the upper side of this slot from the upper side of theslide 21, and form said crevice. The upper slot may be provided withnarrow extensions 27 at its opposite ends, as shown by Figure 3, so thata parchesi-board having a greater area than a. slide 21 may beaccommodated.

As shown by Figures 2 and 3, the slides 21 are supported entirely out ofcontact with each other, so that their side surfaces are notliable to bemarred or defaced.

The lower portion of the casing formed by the table body may be providedwith drawers 29, located below the series of slides,

rect slides inserted inthe slots, the upper.

slot being wider than the others, so that its upper side is spaced abovethe slide inserted in the slot, the arrangement being such that theupper slide is spaced from the said cover by a thin crevice, adapted toreceive a relatively thin supplemental slide superimposed on the upperslide.

2. A variable table substantially as specified by claim 1, the upperslot. being wider than the others, and arranged with its upper sidespaced above a slide inserted in the slot, saidslot being provided atits opposite ends with relatively narrow extensions, the upper sides ofwhich are flush with the upper side of the slot, the arrangement beingsuch that the upper slide is spaced from the said cover by a thincrevice, adapted to receive a relatively thin supplemental slidesuperimposed onthe upper slide and of greater area than the latter.-

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

GEORGE E. FAY.

